Orlando Magic must improve development of young players

The road to success

No two paths are the same in the NBA, but there are similarities.

Some teams are located in prime real estate, always included in rumors of snagging the latest star in free agency, such as the Los Angeles Lakers. Some have such a storied history players claw at the chance of joining the history books, like the Boston Celtics. For some, it is the chance at success, such as the Golden State Warriors offer. And some players are so gravitating they are always in the mix, like anywhere LeBron James cares to go.

The Magic have none of that, aside from good weather, a state-of-the-art arena and a nice tax law. That has not been enough to attract top-flight free agents yet.

The Magic have no choice but to develop young talent, or pull off a mastery team construction plan.

Dwight Howard is obviously the prime example of the Magic drafting and taking a player to prominence, and it is one that cannot be argued. It is certainly easier to find transformative players when a team wins the top pick in the Lottery, something the Magic have not had the fortune of doing.

Even when looking around the league, rebuilding projects have started and moved on before the Magic’s has ever offered any real hope.

The Celtics’ Danny Ainge jealously grabbed any draft pick he could (and he still holds many) but was able to bring in a solid layer of young players to support a coach that could work with them and vault them to success.

The 76ers were the butt of jokes for years, yet they have overtaken the Magic in the standings this year. Their young players excite, and their fan base seems much more hopeful than the Magic’s fan base. Winning the Lottery to draft Joel Embiid (one spot ahead of Aaron Gordon) and Ben Simmons with the top overall pick can quickly change outlooks.

It seems almost every young roster is providing more hope than the Magic.

After all, the Orlando Magic have won more than 30 wins once in five years. They have finished last in their division in the last five years and have just two top-10 finishes league-wide in any of the major categories in the last five years — the Magic were nine in defensive rebounding in 2013 and seventh in assists last season.

The Magic fan base is understandably frustrated. And they deserve to have a team they can invest in, can grow with and can be proud of cheering for. This team has disappointed and fell short of all expectations.

To take the next step, the Magic need to focus on getting their ingredients in the bowl first, and focusing on their young players. The Magic’s youth has been listed as a strength for seasons with few results.

Next: Orlando Magic face decision on Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton

It is time to stop listing and start baking.